ED arrests four in US$27.39 million fake call centre scam targeting elderly Americans

This is a press release from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, announcing the arrest of four individuals under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with a fake call centre scam targeting US nationals. It matters to citizens as it details the scale of the fraud (approx. US$ 27.39 million), the methods used to defraud victims, and the ongoing investigation into the money laundering network.

Who it concerns: The document concerns the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), the four newly arrested accused (Harshil Nayanbhai Raval, Jaswant Singh, Chetan Munjal, and Pranav Pithadia), three previously arrested accused (Vikas Nimar, Tarachand Nimar, and Mohd. Irfan Ansari), the Hon’ble Special Court (PMLA) in Nampally, Hyderabad, and the identified victims (549 US nationals).

What the ED says it did

• Four accused were arrested on 03.11.2026 under Section 19(1) of PMLA, 2002.
• The Special Court in Nampally remanded all four accused to judicial custody.
• The total number of persons arrested by ED in this case has risen to seven.
• ED conducted searches on 15.09.2026 at four premises in Patiala, Pune, and Chandigarh, detecting three live call centres with around 220 persons working.
• Forensic examination of 79 digital devices revealed chats, ledgers, calling data, victim records, and crypto wallets.
• The investigation relates to scheduled offences of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy under Sections 318, 336, 340, and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
• The syndicate impersonated US government officials (DEA, DOJ, FTC, Treasury) using forged documents and identity cards to intimidate victims.
• Victims were induced to hand over cash, gold, send parcels, transfer funds to mule accounts, or purchase gift cards.
• Proceeds were converted to Indian Rupees via cryptocurrency (USDT on TRON, Bitcoin) and hawala channels, and routed through Dubai and other countries.
• Digital evidence records 927 approved collections of approximately US$ 27.39 million (approx. Rs. 261 crore) between July 2025 and September 2026.
• 397 US bank accounts in at least 15 banks (including Wells Fargo, SSB Bank, Bank of America) were used as mule accounts.
• 549 US nationals were identified as victims/targets, and 6,463 US telephone numbers were called or messaged.
• Specific roles assigned to accused: Pranav Pithadia (owner/manager of Patiala floors), Harshil Nayanbhai Raval (maintained master accounts/invested proceeds), Jaswant Singh (coordinated cash pick-ups), Chetan Munjal (partner in Rabditta Corporates, provided protection/received funds).
• Seized devices contained Social Security Numbers (SSN) of 140 US nationals and 92 images of identity documents.

Also in the document

• The scam targeted mostly elderly US residents, many born in the 1940s.
• Auto dialler servers used for the operation were hosted in Germany and Finland.
• Proceeds were invested in properties, gold, vehicles, and businesses in India.
• The ED investigation is continuing to identify further proceeds of crime and trace the money trail.